Reconstructing the past
in the present,
for the future.

Celebrating Tanabata

TANABATA
(Japanese: たなばた or 七夕; meaning "Evening of the Seventh"), also known as the Star Festival (星祭り), is a Japanese festival.

It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively).

According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar.

Celebrating Matariki

MATARIKI
In Māori culture, Matariki is the Pleiades star cluster and a celebration heralding a time of remembrance, celebration and renewal.

Matariki is an abbreviation of ‘Ngā Mata o te Ariki Tāwhirimātea (‘The eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea’).

According to Māori tradition, the god of the wind, Tāwhirimātea, was so angry when his siblings separated their parents, Ranginui the sky father and Papatūānuku the earth mother, that he tore out his eyes and threw them into the heavens.

The ceremony involved viewing the individual stars for forecasts of the year to come, mourning the deceased of the past year, and making an offering of food to replenish the stars.

How we work

Our process sits at the intersection of handcraft, engineering, and structured human–AI collaboration.

AI helps us think wider and faster. Humans make the decisions, build the work, and carry the responsibility.

No AI-generated art: All physical artefacts are hand-made.
AI is used for reasoning, not rendering.

AI × Human Workflow: How We Collaborate

Clear division of roles between human craft and AI-supported thinking.

Research
Organises references, checks cultural and historical context, and summarises source material for faster review.
Deep-dives into sources, selects what is culturally appropriate, and sets the artistic and ethical direction.
Concept Modelling
Maps logic and constraints, tests structures virtually, and highlights potential conflicts or missing links.
Sketches and prototypes ideas, defines function and form, and chooses which concepts move forward.
Design Planning
Predicts material behaviour, flags structural risks, and suggests options for load, balance, or wear.
Makes final design and engineering decisions, plans workflow, and adapts designs to real-world tools and limits.
Crafting
No role in visual or physical generation. AI does not sculpt, cast, paint, or generate imagery.
Hand sculpts, casts, sands, paints, finishes, and assembles every piece — from dice and hairpins to props and sculptures.
Practical Effects & Illusions
Models light, flow, and visibility, and helps predict how fog, resin, and lighting will interact.
Builds and installs the actual rigs: fog systems, lighting, supports, and environmental setups for live displays.
Testing
Suggests test parameters and highlights potential weak points in the logic or intended use.
Performs stress tests, wear tests, and real-world checks; adjusts materials, fit, balance, and finish.
Cultural Context & Lore
Helps structure write-ups, surfaces primary sources, and keeps track of references for later citation.
Writes the final lore cards and plaques, ensures tone and framing are respectful, and confirms cultural accuracy.
Documentation
Assists with summarising process notes, organising logs, and formatting information for clarity.
Reviews for accuracy and ethics, signs off on what is shared publicly, and decides what becomes part of the record.